IP Library Granted Patent US 12,461,598
Granted Patent B2
US 12,461,598 · App. 18/287,361 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Information processing apparatus, vehicle controlling system, information processing method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium

Inventors: Toshiaki Kawamura (Tokyo, JP); Yoshihiro Watanabe (Tokyo, JP); Yuichi Suzuki (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
G06F3/017G06F3/013G06V20/58G07C9/00563
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,461,598
App. No.
18/287,361
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a first authentication unit, a first vehicle controlling unit, a gesture determining unit, and a second vehicle controlling unit. The first authentication unit controls biometric authentication of a person included in a first captured image, and determines whether the person included in the first captured image is a registered user. The first vehicle controlling unit, if the person included in the first captured image is determined to be a registered user, transmits a first control signal for executing first control. The gesture determining unit controls a gesture determination of whether a gesture of a person included in a second captured image is a registered gesture. The second vehicle controlling unit, if the gesture of the person included in the second captured image is a registered gesture, transmits a second control signal for executing second control.

Claims (45)

1 . An information processing apparatus comprising:

at least one memory storing instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to:

based on a first captured image generated by capturing an image of a scene surrounding a vehicle, control biometric authentication of a person included in the first captured image and determine whether the person included in the first captured image is a registered user;

if the person included in the first captured image is determined to be the registered user, transmit a first control signal for executing first control related to unlocking of an opening and closing body of the vehicle;

based on a second captured image generated by capturing an image of a scene surrounding the vehicle or an image of an interior of the vehicle, control a gesture determination of whether a gesture of a person included in the second captured image is a registered gesture; and

if the gesture of the person included in the second captured image is the registered gesture, transmit a second control signal for executing second control different from the first control, the second control corresponding to the gesture of the person and performed on a predetermined opening and closing body of the vehicle or on a power source of the vehicle.

2 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to control the gesture determination based on the second captured image, if the opening and closing body of the vehicle is in an unlocked state.

3 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the registered gesture is set based at least one of on a direction of a person's gaze or on a direction of a person's face.

4 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the second control signal is a control signal for opening or closing the predetermined opening and closing body of the vehicle to a direction corresponding to the direction of the gaze or the direction of the face.

5 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to provide a notification of a start or a result of a process for controlling biometric authentication of the person included in the first captured image and determining whether the person included in the first captured image is a registered user or a process for controlling the gesture determination of whether the gesture of the person included in the second captured image is the registered gesture.

6 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to provide the notification of the start or the result with use of a speaker or a light provided in the vehicle.

7 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

control biometric authentication of the person included in the second captured image based on the second captured image and determine whether the person included in the second captured image is the registered user; and

control the gesture determination if the person included in the second captured image is determined to be the registered user.

8 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to control the gesture determination if the person included in the second captured image is located in a region set in advance with the vehicle serving as a reference.

9 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to control the gesture determination if a size or a length of a face region of the person included in the second captured image is no less than a predetermined number of pixels or if a length connecting predetermined facial parts included in a face region of the person included in the second captured image is no less than a predetermined number of pixels.

10 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the registered gesture is set according to each region set in advance with the vehicle serving as a reference, and

the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to determine whether the gesture of the person included in the second captured image is a registered gesture corresponding to a region in which the person is located.

11 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the second control is set according to each gesture of a person and each region set in advance with the vehicle serving as a reference, and

the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to transmit a second control signal for executing second control corresponding to the gesture of the person included in the second captured image and a region in which the person is located.

12 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to register the registered gesture based on an input from the registered user.

13 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to control the gesture determination with use of a gesture determining model trained for each registered user.

14 . A vehicle controlling system comprising:

a biometric authentication apparatus configured to execute biometric authentication; and

an information processing apparatus,

wherein the information processing apparatus includes

at least one memory storing instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to:

cause the biometric authentication apparatus to execute, based on a first captured image generated by capturing an image of a scene surrounding a vehicle, biometric authentication of a person included in the first captured image and determine whether the person included in the first captured image is a registered user,

if the person included in the first captured image is determined to be the registered user, transmit a first control signal for executing first control related to unlocking of an opening and closing body of the vehicle,

based on a second captured image generated by capturing an image of a scene surrounding the vehicle or an image of an interior of the vehicle, control a gesture determination of whether a gesture of a person included in the second captured image is a registered gesture, and

if the gesture of the person included in the second captured image is the registered gesture, transmit a second control signal for executing second control different from the first control, the second control corresponding to the gesture of the person and performed on a predetermined opening and closing body of the vehicle or on a power source of the vehicle.

15 . The vehicle controlling system according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

control biometric authentication of the person included in the second captured image based on the second captured image and determine whether the person included in the second captured image is the registered user; and

control the gesture determination if the person included in the second captured image is determined to be the registered user.

16 . The vehicle controlling system according to claim 15 , further comprising a management server configured to store a gesture determining model trained for each registered user,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to control the gesture determination with use of a gesture determining model acquired from the management server and corresponding to a registered user.

17 . An information processing method comprising:

a first authentication step of, based on a first captured image generated by capturing an image of a scene surrounding a vehicle, controlling biometric authentication of a person included in the first captured image and determining whether the person included in the first captured image is a registered user;

a first vehicle controlling step of, if the person included in the first captured image is determined to be the registered user, transmitting a first control signal for executing first control related to unlocking of an opening and closing body of the vehicle;

a gesture determining step of, based on a second captured image generated by capturing an image of a scene surrounding the vehicle or an image of an interior of the vehicle, controlling a gesture determination of whether a gesture of a person included in the second captured image is a registered gesture; and

a second vehicle controlling step of, if the gesture of the person included in the second captured image is the registered gesture, transmitting a second control signal for executing second control different from the first control, the second control corresponding to the gesture of the person and performed on a predetermined opening and closing body of the vehicle or on a power source of the vehicle.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2023
From: KAWAMURA, TOSHIAKI; WATANABE, YOSHIHIRO; SUZUKI, YUICHI
To: NEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065266/0603 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240201790A1 · Jun 20, 2024
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